1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electronic visual display systems and more particularly to a real time visual messaging device for displaying messages received via high speed networks from remote sources.
2. Description of Related Art
Visual messaging devices are commonly used to display visual messages in the form of words, letters and figures. Such devices include a display unit that usually includes a matrix of illuminating elements, such as light emitting diodes (LED""s). Messages are communicated or transmitted from remote control devices such as computers or servers over high speed networks such as local area networks (LAN""s), wide area networks, the internet and the like.
In a large number of applications, such as manufacturing facilities, entertainment and other areas, it is very desirable to display the visual messages substantially in real time. The commonly used remote units transmit messages in the form of digital data at relatively high data rate (large bandwidth), typically in excess of one (1) megabits per second. Message information when used at the transmitted rate, i.e., without reducing the bandwith, can allow the messages to be displayed substantially in real time and provide real time two-way interaction between the messaging device and the remote unit with respect to the status and other important display parameters. It can also greatly enhance the visual features such as animation, scrolling, etc.
The prior art visual messaging devices first substantially reduce the received data rate, usually to about 10K bauds/second. Such devices are inefficient in the use of the transmitted data, do not provide the substantially real-time display or real-time two way interaction between the visual display device and the remote unit and thus significantly reduces the effect of display features and also severely limits the information that is communicated back to the remote unit.
The present invention provides a display messaging system wherein the visual display messaging device displays the messages substantially in real-time and communicates or interfaces with the remote unit in real-time.
The present invention provides a visual messaging device for use with a high speed network. The message data is communicated to the network by a remote device, such as a computer or server. The visual messaging device includes a network interface circuit that receives the message data from the network and arranges it in a memory unit in a usable form (packets) for use by a processor at the high network speed. The processor includes a central processing unit (CPU) and is a multi-tasking device, which sequences the messages in real time for display by the display device according to programmed instructions stored or provided to the visual messaging device. A display driver activates and deactivates the visual elements, such as individual LEDs, according to the processor""s instructions. The various elements of the visual messaging device communicate in real time over a common data bus. The network may be a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN) or the Internet.
A first memory stores the available messages from the receiver in a selected format for use by said processor and a second memory stores programs or programmed instructions.
A common data bus provides two-way communications link among the processor, memories, network interface and the display driver. The processor provides status reports of the messages to the remote unit at the network speed, i.e., in real time. Such status may include the (i) current message on the display; (ii) configuration of the message displayed by the display device; (iii) message to be displayed; and (iv) time sequence of messages.
Examples of the more important features of the invention thus have been summarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the contributions to the art may be appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto.